Prologue
Damiano
Blood splattered on my face faster than I could ever process what was happening. The sound of gurgling had me slowly widening my eyes when I saw who was hit. I dropped to my knees, pressing my hand onto her neck where blood kept sputtering out.
“You’ll be okay… you’ll be okay.” The words came out of my mouth hastily, but she was choking on her own blood, watching me with fear in her eyes as tears filled them up. I gritted my teeth, trying to stop the bleeding, but deep down inside, I knew I couldn’t.
“Find them! Find who did this!” I shouted to my men, my chest heaving uncontrollably in fury.
“Don’t close your eyes.” I pleaded. Her eyes drooped, but they never fully closed. She placed her hand on my cheek, giving me a silent plea before I watched her eyes become lifeless and her hand dropped to her side.
I cradled her body into my arms, I shouted.
“Open your eyes. Open your eyes!” But she remained unresponsive.
“Why, Damiano?” I stilled and stared into her eyes, which were open but glazed over with no spark of life.
My eyes narrowed in confusion. Something was not right. Her eyes were cold and lifeless, yet her mouth was moving, screaming at me.
“Why did you let me die, Damiano? Why? Why? Why?!”
I snapped my eyes open. I let out a breath as I stared at the ceiling before sitting on the edge of the bed, my head dipping between my shoulders as I rested my elbows on my thighs.
Once again, she was tormenting me in my dreams, giving me another sleepless night. I’ve been having this dream for four years, and the anger from it is still deeply engraved within me. If I had put her first instead of being absorbed in building my empire, maybe she would still be alive instead of haunting me.
Instead of trying to sleep, knowing I wouldn’t be able to, I took a shower and got dressed to do what I do best; handle my businesses and make sure they all went smoothly. It was the only distraction I could give myself before she tormented me again for failing to protect her.
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I was in one meeting after another, killing one fuckhead after another. The slightest things set me off; looking at me the wrong way, breathing too loud, wearing too much cologne, anything to let my trigger finger work overtime.
It was probably because of the lack of sleep.
My brother, Lorenzo, and my right-hand man, Antonio, loved to remind me how I was always a pain in the ass when I was sleep deprived. They were probably the only ones who could get away with saying that and not end up with a bullet between their eyes.
I went back to the manor to take another shower to wash off the blood. Some piece of shit thought he could steal from me as if I wouldn’t notice. I liked to deal with them directly. I loved to make them into my personal punching bag, except that my gloves were made of knives. It was messy but satisfying.
Freshly showered and dressed in slacks and a dress shirt, I went to the Volante mansion to attend my brother’s engagement party. Arriving, I took a quick glance around the decorated backyard as I sipped my whiskey. I had my men stay vigilant in case Gaetano Volante tried something funny.
I pulled out a cigarette and took in a deep drag as Lorenzo and his fiancée, Cara, made an appearance and mingled with the other guests.
“That shitface, Michael, isn’t here. Find out where he is.” I ordered Luca.
“He’s coming right there.” Giovanni informed before Luca started looking.
I inhaled deeply from my cigarette and blew out the smoke as my eyes narrowed on the woman Michael was with. I observed her closely as they exchanged some words before Michael walked away.
“… She’s hot.” One of the men nearby let out a low whistle at the sight of her.
“… Gorgeous.” Another one commented. I couldn’t blame them; she was a fucking beauty.
My gaze slid down, drinking in every inch of her body. She had long, brown curly hair flowing down past her shoulders. The dress she was wearing hugged her body deliciously, the generous amount of her cleavage on display left little to the imagination. My gaze went up to her face and our eyes clashed. I almost let out a smirk when I caught her checking me out since she wasn’t being discreet about it either.
Fucking hell, she had the most striking green eyes I had ever seen, and I found myself becoming lured into them. I tilted my head slightly to the side as I continued to look at her. She looked oddly familiar.
Then I finally realized who she was.
Michael moved in front of her, obscuring our view of each other before I could signal for her to come over.
“No one is to go near her.” I told my men firmly, and I received grumbled responses in return.
“That’s Althaia Volante.” I informed them, and everyone looked back at her in surprise. I let out a low laugh, rubbing my jaw as my eyes never once left her.
Now, how the fuck was she alive and well, when the file clearly stated she died?
Chapter 1
Althaia
I looked in the mirror and nodded in approval at my appearance. I was wearing a long black backless silk dress with thin straps; the front was a deep v-plunge neckline that showed quite a bit of my cleavage. The dress was tight on the top and got a little loose at the hips as there was a long slit on the right side, stopping mid-thigh. I finished the look with a pair of open-toe black stilettos with straps around the ankle.
I did a simple brown smokey eye which complimented my green eyes and had them look a bit cat-like. I let my long curly and thick brown hair fall as it was but accessorized it with a sparkly hair clip to lift some of the hair away from my face on the right side.
“Get it together. What’s the worst that can happen?” I continued to fiddle with my hands before forcing them to remain still as I took a deep breath, building up the courage to leave my hotel room.
The worst that could happen was my father being angry at me for showing up and throwing me out…. My eyes widened and my face paled. I hadn’t thought that was a possibility until now. I quickly shoved that thought away. I was here for Cara, not him, and there was no way I would let that stop me from attending her engagement party.
I have always been close to Cara. We grew up together in the same household since both of our fathers were running a business together. Long story short, I found out that my father and uncle were in organized crime, and since they would always be busy, Cara spent time with me and my mother. Sadly, Cara’s mother died during her birth, and my mother raised Cara as if she were her own daughter. Aside from that, we were a happy family.
At least, that was what we thought.
There was stuff you didn’t notice because you were busy being a kid, right? So, as usual, Cara and I were nosy and tried to eavesdrop on my parents, when it sounded like they were fighting one night. We had crept down the steps to get a closer look and listen to what was going on, but we couldn’t hear anything.
But what happened next shocked us both and had our jaws dropping to the floor.
My mother, Jacinta, slapped the fuck out of my father that night. We remained silent, stunned by what had just happened, before we ran back to our shared room and pretended to be asleep so we wouldn’t be caught snooping.
The next day, my mother had our bags packed, and we left. I remember crying so hard because Cara wasn’t coming with us. My mother tried to take her with us, but my uncle refused to let her go. It pained my mother to leave Cara behind, and I was sure she had her reasons to leave my father. The reason for that was still unknown though.
My father and I didn’t stay in touch after that, even though I tried to call him because I missed him, but he never once called me back. He then changed his number-message received.
We moved to Florida while my father stayed in California. I met up with Cara whenever it was possible. However, it became more difficult for her to leave the house the older she got because her father was strict as fuck. He turned out to be a parent from hell.
He was always intoxicated with a dangerous mix of drugs and alcohol that made him crazy and abusive towards Cara. The minute I knew what was happening to her, I told her I was coming to get her out of there. But she begged me not to, nor tell a soul. She said it would do more harm than good. I couldn’t understand what she meant by it and my heart dropped when she said her father wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if she tried to run away. I couldn’t do anything but stay put as I feared for her life.
Well, to say that I was nervous to be around them all for the first time in forever was an understatement. I didn’t know what to expect and kept thinking about how my father would react to seeing me after so long.
“… Don’t get sick.” I whispered to myself as I took a deep breath. I felt nauseous. “Let’s go.” I sighed, finally working up the courage to get going, and I made my way down to the lobby.
Cara sent a car to my hotel to escort me to the mansion. My former home. My heart beat a little faster at the thought of going there after so long. So much has happened since the slap.
My father got himself a new wife not long after we left. He even has a stepson, Carlos, from his wife’s previous marriage whom he treated like his own flesh and blood. I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother the shit out of me to hear he was treating someone else more like his own child than me.
Cara instantly spilled the tea and said my father had totally downgraded. I was prepared to give the stink eye to the woman my father ended up marrying.
On the elevator ride down to the lobby, I felt myself getting more nervous and my hands fidgeted around the little gift box I had with me. It felt like my stomach was in a thousand knots.
“Get it together, Althaia… It’s just family.” I breathed out, trying to calm my nerves.
I took a final deep breath as the elevator doors opened to the lobby, and clutched the small engagement gift in my hands. It wasn’t anything grand, just two champagne glasses saying, ‘Mr. Right’ with a mustache, and the other ‘Mrs. Always Right’ with red kissy lips. It immediately made me think of Cara because she had the impression she was always right. Even in situations where she wasn’t, she still was, according to herself. She could be a little cocky sometimes.
Nearing the middle of the lobby, I stopped in my tracks when I spotted the tall, blonde-haired man in a gray suit that hugged his body to perfection.
“Michael?” I asked in shock. He spun around and grinned when he saw me.
“Althaia! Long time, no see.” He smiled at me, showing off his pearly whites. It has been so long since I last saw him. My first crush ever. Damn, now I remembered why I was obsessed with him.
Michael had the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen, a sharp jawline, and a clean-shaven face. The way he styled his dirty blonde hair gave the ‘I didn’t bother to try’ look, which made him look quite hot.
We actually dated when we were younger. He just didn’t know.
I just stared at him, my mouth ajar, as I couldn’t believe my own two eyes.
“Damn, Althaia, just take a damn picture if you’re just going to stare at me like that.” He chuckled, and I felt my cheeks heat. He still had an effect on me.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Michael. I was just surprised to see you here.” I laughed, hoping he didn’t notice my flushed cheeks.
“Yeah, well, I kind of overheard Cara saying that you were coming, and she was going to send someone over to come and get you. I couldn’t believe that the Althaia was coming, so I said I would come and fetch ya.” Michael smiled and tucked his hands into the pockets of his slacks. His eyes slowly scanned me, trailing down my body, and then up again to meet my eyes, giving me a lazy smirk.
“Can’t say I regret the decision. You look stunning as ever, Althaia.” His blue eyes darkened, and my heart raced when he gave me a look.
“And you look handsome as ever, Michael.” I returned with a smile as he sauntered up to me with a sexy grin on his face.
The story is slowly undergoing edits.
Althaia “No way! You got yourself that car?!” I gaped at the gleaming black Aston Martin as he escorted me outside. “Sure did! Worked my ass off to get it.” He looked at his car pridefully. When we were younger, he would always talk about wanting an Aston Martin. We used to love talking about cars when we were kids and got so excited when we saw those luxury cars in movies. I was a sucker for those cars. Michael opened the door for me, and I immediately glanced around as I got inside, almost afraid to move in case I would ruin something. It was one sexy car, and just sitting in a freaking Aston Martin felt surreal. And he was looking fine driving it. A sexy man deserved a sexy car. “So, how come you’re attending the engagement party?” I asked. Sure, we all knew each other, and we were close growing up, but he was always talking about traveling the world, so I didn’t think he would have stuck around. Michael glanced at me quickly before refocusing on the road. “Ah, I forgot you
Althaia As soon as we entered the mansion, a wave of nostalgia hit me as I looked around. I made so many memories in this house, and even though most of the interior had been changed, there was still a sense of familiarity. The staircase had been remodeled into a glossy beige that led to two small separate staircases on either side to get to the top floor. A sparkling crystal chandelier was suspended from the center of the staircase and small spotlights lit up the rest of the ceiling, giving it a nice, elegant look. I guess my father was too busy with the mansion to phone me back. I mentally scoffed but forced myself to think of the good times. The twelve years that I stayed here were amazing because I had Cara and Michael. As we walked towards the back of the mansion, we could hear music and people talking. We walked through the French doors to the gardens outside down a stony path that twisted around the corner to the house’s right side. I enjoyed the view of the gorgeous flower
Althaia “Thaia!” I heard Cara call out as she suddenly showed up and headed towards me with a wide smile on her face. “Cara!” I squealed, matching her excitement as I quickly handed my drink to back Michael, not caring that it spilled a bit, and walked as fast as I could in my heels and embraced her with a tight hug. It had been so long since I last saw her, which truly sucked because we were like two inseparable sisters. “Oh my God, I have missed you so much. It really is not the same without you.” She hugged me tighter into her tiny frame. “I know.” I chuckled. “I’ve missed you too!” I stepped back, holding her hands as I looked her over. “Cara, you look amazing!” I stared in awe at her gorgeous dress. A gorgeous, long flowy rose-colored strapless gown with a corset-like top with silver detailing that cinched her waist, making her already full breasts even bigger. Her raven hair was tied up with a few pieces framing her face, and her makeup was flawless, making her hazel eyes po
Althaia As we got closer to the group of men, I tried not to stare at anyone longer than a second in case they would take it the wrong way. They were huge and intimidating, and kept watching us as we walked up to them, but Cara was unfazed. She led me over to the two men at the center of the group; the two most terrifying-looking men. And one of them was the man Michael told me not to stare at, but holy shit, that man was even finer up close, and I couldn't take my eyes off him. I was nervous to approach him as his eyes followed me, and his stare made my heart race. He didn’t even try to hide it as he shamelessly checked me out, which gave me mixed feelings. I was not sure I was supposed to like his attention on me. “Althaia, meet my fiancé, Lorenzo.” Cara introduced. I looked at the man next to him and wanted to drop my jaw. He was about the size of a tank! He was so tall that I even had to slightly tilt my head up, and so muscular he could literally be related to The Rock. I woul
Althaia “Keep her out of this.” My father hissed. “And why should I when you’re the one hiding her, Gaetano?” Damiano bared his teeth in a sinister smile. “She has nothing to do with anything!” My father yelled at him. “Now, now.” Damiano chuckled, not fazed at all. “I’ll be the judge of that.” He pulled me in front of him and it felt like I was facing the Devil himself. Damiano leaned in so close to me, his golden-brown eyes looking so deadly. I swallowed hard, scared of what he would do to me. “We’ll have a little chat together soon.” He said with a wicked smirk as he ran a thumb along my jaw. I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t even breathe. I just stared at him, my eyes wide, while my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. What was I supposed to say, anyway? Tea or coffee? I was pretty sure he preferred blood. And I could only hope it was not mine he was after. He leaned back, gave me a wink, and walked off. I exhaled and my legs buckled, making me stumble. But a
Althaia “What the actual fuck?” I shrieked, and my father shot me a look. I was supposed to be dead? “But he said Althaia Volante, I’m a Celano.” I said to get an explanation for that. “Celano is a name your mother and I both decided for you to have so people wouldn’t be able to track you down easily.” He explained, “I never gave you my family name because I want to protect the only daughter I have.” So, that was what he meant when he said I was causing trouble. Made sense now. But in all fairness, how was I supposed to know that? No one told me I was supposed to play fucking dead. “I couldn't take the chance of you going around and introducing yourself as Volante. Word would get out, and he would track you down fast to get what he wants.” He sighed, and it left me stunned once again. “So…” I trailed off. “Does that mean I’m in any kind of danger now? Should I be worried?” I asked, probably looking like a lost child. If my father had faked my death, then that meant Damiano was m
Althaia “What a grand entrance you made tonight.” Michael playfully bumped his shoulder into mine. “Tell me about it.” I chuckled. Michael walked me all the way to my hotel room to make sure I got back completely safe. I was really grateful, and I almost snuggled up to him for protection. I swiped my keycard and held the door for Michael to enter as well. “Not bad, Thaia. You got yourself a luxury suite.” He whistled in awe as he looked around. “Well, I thought I would take advantage of this opportunity and treat myself a bit.” I grinned. I had asked for the biggest suite in the hotel because I wanted it to feel like a real vacation. The suite was split into two large rooms; a lounge area with soft couches that would swallow you and a huge flat-screen TV, and the other with a king-sized bed. It had to be a king-sized bed because I had this annoying fear that if my arm or leg hung off the bed, some kind of nasty creature would definitely grab me and drag me across the room. I slu
Damiano I entered the lobby of one of the fancier hotels in Los Angeles and went straight to the reception desk. “Mr. Bellavia, so great to see you again! Are you here for a meeting?” The receptionist greeted me with a wide smile and quickly checked her computer. “No, I’m here for pleasure.” I told her. “Oh, excellent! But I’m afraid all our master suites have been booked. If you would give me a minute, I will have something figured out for you right away.” “No need to.” I stopped her before she could make any calls. “I already have a room. It should be under the name of Althaia Celano.” “Just a second and I will find it for you.” Her red nails tapped on the keyboard as she searched the database. “Bill her stay on my card. I will only be here for a few hours. Order everything you have on the menu, plus a bottle of your best champagne, and send it up.” I slid my card towards her and checked my watch to show her I was getting impatient so she would hurry. “Certainly, sir! I can s
Althaia“Maybe we should have gotten me a change of clothes before coming here.” I said as I walked out to them while looking down at the tank top I had taken from Damiano, pretending to be fixing it. I was actually fixing it because my nipples were almost showing.Damiano looked up from his phone. His eyes slowly trailed down my body and his gaze stopped at my barely covered breasts. Whatever he was doing on his phone could wait as he carelessly tossed it on the couch.He gave me a lazy smirk and motioned for me to come closer to him. With a gentle yet firm grip, Damiano wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against his body.“What’s the need for clothes when I plan to have you naked the entire time?” He said with a mischievous grin on his lips. I blushed, not expecting him to say something like this in front of them.As if remembering there were other people in our room, he looked at them with a blank look.“What are you still doing here? Get out.” He told them sharply.
Althaia I huffed and looked at the time. It was a quarter to four in the morning, and I was wide awake. Feeling horny. I turned to look at Damiano, who was sleeping peacefully next to me. I wanted him, but I didn't want to wake him up just to take care of my needs. He had a long day ahead of him, flying out to a meeting with Mr. Roberts, and other high-end restaurant owners. They saw the custom-designed wine bottles for Mr. Robert's restaurants, and how they attracted more customers. Customers loved the whole idea of taking a unique wine bottle home with them as a souvenir. Some even started to collect them. The sales went crazy and landed us a few more deals. I suggested that each restaurant have its distinct design as a trademark, but with Damiano's wine business name engraved. And he was going to meet them all and show them my sketch ideas. I would have gone with him, but since I was heavily pregnant, I couldn’t fly. Maybe it was because I knew he would be gone, and wouldn’t b
Five months later The sun was high up in the clear sky, shining over the crystal blue water in the most enchanting way. Calilo was always a beautiful island, but today, it was even more breathtaking. The beach was elegantly decorated and rows of chairs lined up endlessly on the bright green grass. A mirrored aisle had been set up in the middle with either side decorated so stunningly with Angel’s and Devil’s trumpet flowers. At the end of the aisle was a grand gazebo with pillars decorated with colorful flowers. A crowd of people was present, chatting and finding their seats. By the gazebo stood Damiano, overlooking the crowd of their friends and families. Everyone had flown out to make sure to witness this special day. Damiano had a small crease between his brows, shuffling around on his feet for the first time in his life as he kept fixing his tie, double-checking to make sure he at least looked decent enough on such a meaningful day. “Nervous, brother?” Lorenzo walked up to him
Althaia Ellie was already at the clinic, waiting for us when we arrived. The closer we got to the examination room, the more anxious I got. I was dreading it more than ever. To get that confirmation that it was another miscarriage. That another life was lost in me. I felt suffocated. Damiano, Antonio, and Giovanni were just as worried. No one bothered to mask their emotions as they were concerned for my well-being and what was going to happen. “So, what are we dealing with?” Ellie asked once she closed the door to give us some privacy while Antonio and Giovanni waited outside. “I took a pregnancy test, it was positive but… I’m bleeding and cramping.” I swallowed hard as Ellie listened carefully to me. Damiano stayed close to me, holding me as if I would collapse at any moment. What I loved about Ellie was that even though she knew us, she was still being professional and not letting us see if she was concerned as she listened to me. “Okay, we will do a blood test and do a transv
Althaia My eyes welled as I could feel the pain, and my heart ached for them both. The fact that my mother was going to tell them, maybe even holding onto the hope that they could finally be together. But no. For her own protection, mine even, she had to accept that was how her life was going to be. And I couldn’t even imagine what Alexei must be feeling now. To know he was close to being told he was going to have a child with the woman he loved. But his own mother stood in his way and took the truth with her to the grave. Nestor looked completely taken aback as he looked at my mother and followed Alexei once he came to his senses. I was sure Alexei needed some time to think it all through. I didn’t say anything, giving my mother some time to gather herself. I looked at Damiano, he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, already looking at me. I couldn’t tell if he was truly interested in the story or not as he wore a straight face. Then I knew he wasn’t interested wh
Althaia As soon as Alexei drew out his gun, Damiano pulled me behind him and he and his men pulled out their guns as well, finger on the trigger and ready to fire. But then Nestor quickly pushed Alexei away when a knife flew right in between them, missing Alexei’s head by a hair. Surprised and confused, everyone turned to look in the direction where the knife came from. My mother had her brows pinched with her gaze locked on Alexei, ready with another knife in her hand. “Did you forget how she loved to do that to you?” Nestor sighed at Alexei. But he was too focused on my mother with a furious gaze. “Seems like her aim is off.” He sneered. “It’s not off, it was simply a warning. I got you once, and I can do it again.” My mother spoke calmly but had a whole different demeanor to her. My jaw was on the floor as I looked at them back and forth in pure shock. This whole damn thing had me completely dumbfounded. Wasn’t Alexei the one who had demanded to see her, and almost started a
AlthaiaI didn’t think it was possible to feel more miserable than this. But I kept being dragged down into an endless, dark hole while drowning in fear and pure devastation.I was exhausted.Exhausted from everything that happened and exhausted from every single piece of information thrown at me. I still haven’t even processed the fact that Gaetano wasn’t my father. And then everything else followed as if trying to give me a heart attack by exposing the brutal truth to me.That my entire life has been a fucking lie.Twenty-five years old and I was suddenly having an identity crisis that appeared out of the blue. For so many years where it has just been me and my mother, living life together. But it turned out I didn’t even know who she truly was.My mother, who I thought I witnessed die, was somewhere in this safe-house.Well, and alive.I thought I was hallucinating when I saw her. Or maybe I was seeing a ghost. Or maybe I ended up in hell and this was my punishment. To be tormented
Damiano“No. Stay here.” I stopped Jacinta when she tried to go after Althaia. I knew she would be shocked and in denial but I wasn’t prepared for this kind of reaction and run away.I gritted my teeth, walking as fast as I could in the direction she ran off. This fucking gunshot wound was limiting me too much.I stepped outside to the garden, watching her leaning against a tree to catch her breath.“Althaia.” I frowned, looking at the state she was in.“Stop! Just.. please stop. Don’t come any closer.” She closed her eyes, trying her best to control her breathing. I clenched my fists in frustration. Frustrated with me that I was the cause of this. I stood still, watching her cry and gasp for air. And I would rather get shot a hundred times more than see her like this.“How… How could you do this to me?!” Althaia shouted at me with so much anger than I had ever seen from her. Her innocent, green eyes turned into ones with a rage-filled storm.And betrayal.“I did what I believed was t
DamianoAlthaia was shocked.Shocked to the point her body gave up under her and collapsed to the ground. I grabbed her and pulled her into me, gritting my teeth as I ignored my own pain when I saw the state she was in. I didn’t give two shits about Alexei at this moment, only worrying about her. She looked numb, lost, as she tried to comprehend what I just said. For once, Alexei kept quiet and had his men stand by as he looked at Althaia.His daughter.He hadn’t expressed what he thought of the situation. About him having a daughter. But he was pissed at her mother for keeping away and not telling him. Twenty-five years had he lived on with his life without knowing he had a child out in the world. And to make it worse for him, his daughter thought Gaetano was her father.An Italian man who married his woman“Come on, breathe, Althaia… There you go… Breathe.” She gasped for air and I felt how her entire body was shaking against mine. I held her tightly, even though I was struggling to